Interactive audiovisual distribution system

• US 20050097619A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anosole Pass Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Anosole Pass Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Haddad, Joseph C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A distribution center according to the present invention is capable of handling requests from a plurality of subscribers for accessing programs in a central audiovisual library. The subscriber requests may specify a variable time allowance interval within which a requested program may be delivered.

Claims

1. A method of interactive distribution of audiovisual programs from a distribution center of a plurality of subscriber stations, comprising the steps of:

storing in a library in said distribution center a selection of audiovisual programs;

wirelessly communicating information between the distribution center and at least one of the plurality of subscriber stations, including receiving requests from said subscriber stations for selected program segments from said selection of audiovisual programs, each of said requests including a time allowance interval within which a respective selected program segment is to be delivered;

processing said requests;

accessing said selected program segments from said library; and

delivering said selected program segments to respective subscriber stations making said requests within respective time allowance intervals.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of selectively varying said time allowance intervals by said respective subscriber stations.

3. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of storing said delivered program segments at said subscriber stations.

4. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of interactively communicating order specifications including changes to said specifications.

5. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of interactively communicating information including program selection and price between said distribution center and said plurality of said subscriber stations.

6. The method according to claim 1 further including communicating codes to said subscriber station which specify the length of time or the number of times a delivered program segment may be viewed before it is automatically erased.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of communicating codes to said subscriber stations specifies the earliest time that the delivered program segment is available for viewing.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of processing said requests includes determining whether to accept or reject subscriber orders based on pending scheduled orders.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of processing said requests includes monitoring transmission medium availability and scheduling said delivery of program segments in order when said transmission medium is available.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of processing said requests includes accumulating requests having overlapping time allowance intervals for delivering said program segments substantially simultaneously to respective subscribers.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of processing said requests includes accumulating requests of same program segments for broadcasting said same program segments to respective subscriber stations.

12. The method according to claim 1, further including a step for optimizing delivery of said requests, including:

(a) calculating a slack time for each requested program segment;

(b) comparing the slack times of conflicting program segments;

(c) selecting the minimum slack time among said conflicting program segments;

(d) substituting said slack times of said conflicting program segments with said minimum slack time;

(e) calculating the number of channels which complete delivery of program segments within said slack time; and

(f) scheduling delivery of the next program segment based upon said slack time and channel availability.

13. The method according to claim 12, further including the steps of:

(g) retrieving estimates of rates at which orders are expected to be placed;

(h) scheduling delivery of the next program segment based upon said minimum slack time, said estimate of rates, and channel availability.

14. The method according to claim 1, further including the steps for scheduling the delivery of said requested program segments, based on request weights, said weights are computed by:

(a) reciprocating the number of channels which will complete their delivery within a slack time;

(b) add a variance which is inversely proportional to an estimated arrival rate of requests;

(c) add a variance which is proportional to an estimated arrival rate of new requests;

(d) subtracting a variance proportional to an estimated arrival rate of express orders; and

(e) scheduling the requests in accordance with delivery weight order.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein said variance is calculated based on fuzzy logic.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein said weights are updated as operating experience is gained.

17. The method of interactive distribution of audiovisual programs from a distribution center to a plurality of subscriber stations, comprising the steps of:

storing in a library in said distribution center a selection of audiovisual programs in compressed video format;

receiving requests from said subscriber stations for selected program segments from said selection of audiovisual programs, each of said requests including a time allowance interval within which a respective selected program segment is to be delivered;

processing said requests;

accessing said selected program segments from said library; and

delivering said selected program segments to respective subscriber stations making said requests within respective time allowance intervals.

18. The method according to claim 17, further including the step of receiving and decompressing said selected program segments at said respective subscriber stations making said requests.

19. The method according to claim 17, further including the step of interfacing between the distribution center and the plurality of subscriber status utilizing wireless transmission.

20. The method according to claim 17 further including the step of interactively communicating information including program selection and price between said distribution center and said plurality of said subscriber stations.